Tuesday, 14 January 2014

Thyroid Disease Awareness Month

I was 25 when I found out I had thyroid
cancer.Prior to this, I didn’t know
what a thyroid was.I noticed a swelling
on my neck just above the collar bone.Having had cancer in my neck 4 years earlier, I knew I needed to take
this seriously.

My specialist was quick
to provide me with the provisional diagnosis (all tests were inconclusive) and
booked me for a thyroidectomy, a simple two hour surgery.Waiting for the surgery was the hardest part,
a full 6 weeks of emotional turmoil.

At the age I was, I should have been carefree,
busy planning my future, dating the wrong kind of guy, having fun and making
mistakes.I should not have been plagued
with thoughts of illness and a life destined to be short lived.This preoccupation with my own mortality
continued for many years after my health issues were resolved and I still bear
the emotional scars.

The surgery was more complicated than expected,
taking a full 6 hours.The cancer more
advanced than anticipated.The doctor
had to remove my thyroid, half of my parathyroids, as well as my thymus, lymph
nodes and other tissue.The pathology
report concluded that it was indeed cancer, too different types, both unrelated
to my original cancer, leaving me questioning, ‘why me again’.

I remember asking the medical professionals if
this was related to the therapeutic radiation I had received with my first
cancer.I was assured at that time that
this was not the case. I have since been
told that the therapeutic radiation was likely the cause of my thyroid cancer
and knowing what the medical establishment knows today about the risk of
thyroid cancer from neck radiation, they would never have given it to me.My
recovery was long, or at least it seemed
that way.

After the surgery, it took me about a month to
hold my head up (to this day, I hold my head at an angle).After the surgery, I had radioactive iodine
therapy for good measure.I have to take
my thyroid medication daily.Thyroid
tissue is nebulous and it is difficult if not impossible to remove all of
it.It also likes to regenerate.

Taking my medication regularly, helps to keep
what cells are left, dormant.I also have regular check ups to make sure
things are fine.Fortunately, follow up
treatment for thyroid cancer, should it return, is minimally invasive,
consisting of the ingestion of radioactive iodine capsules and diagnostic
imaging.

Printfriendly

Grandma and Grandpa Snyder

Thank you for visiting Grandparents and Grand children. This is a lifestyle blog with a little bit of everything from the perspective of two Mennonite Grandparents. We feature our grandchildren in this blog Ruth, Emily, James and our very special adopted granddaughter Haley. We hope that you enjoy the time you spend here and leave us a message if you feel so inclined.